Pretend for a
moment that your Fairy Godmother appears to grant three wishes
for a Costa Rican fantasy vacation. Your imagination flits from pale sand beaches to the jungle habitat of howler monkeys and winged exotica, along a path to a waterfall. You emerge from the wild foliage onto an expanse of landscaped greenery undulating to the ocean´s cliffs. Nothing intrudes upon your serenity but deer and iguana, bird-song and the sighing surf.
"Time!" calls Fairy Godmother. "Union rules, you know. Save the other two wishes for later."
Just when you fear that she´s been over-challenged, her magic wand waves and presto - you´re at Tango Mar! Tango Mar Resort and Country Club at the south-east tip of the Pacific´s Nicoya Peninsula, is the fulfillment of your wish in picturesque detail.
Those without magic wand transportation can be there by plane in 20 minutes from San Josi. Motoring options include routes through the Central Valley to Puntarenas, concluding with an hour´s ferry ride to the peninsula. With notice, a Tango Mar craft can be waiting at Puntarenas for an escorted voyage.
Tango Mar embraces 150 acres of primitive reserve blended with cultivated grounds and gardens, colossal seaside cliffs and miles of pristine sand along the resort´s private Playa Quisalez. At the perimeters lie the Curu Biological Reserve and Cabo Blance Nature Reserve.
Designed with
consideration for ocean view, luxury and privacy, guest quarters
present a multiplicity of choice. There is the three-tiered hotel
of 18 spacious rooms, each opening onto a beachfront patio.
Beyond the hotel, five thatched Tiki Suites on tall columns spy
upon the Pacific. Expectations of a primitive hut give way to the
reality of a king bed, jacuzzi, kitchenette and stained-glass
dome. At the top of the hill perch a dozen individual Tropical
Suites distinguished by patio gardens, hand-carved canopy beds
and convertible sofas.One of the hotel´s major attractions is the 10-hole, par 3 and 4 executive golf course by the sea. The smartly trimmed course, featuring a driving range and challenging, hilly terrain, draws international golfers who don´t want to lose their stroke on vacation.
For folks of a different stroke, the nearby tennis courts light up for evening play, and the soccer field may be used by guests and visiting teams alike. Horseback riders explore jungle, beach and village, while scuba and snorkeling fanatics make for Tortuga Island or the sunken Banana Express steamboat.
Deep sea and sport fishermen find their neptune nirvana at Tango Mar, on guided expeditions for sailfish, tuna, marlin, wahoo and mackerel. People who wouldn´t touch fishing with a 10-foot pole can take away the memory of whale and dolphin sightings.
After all that active leisure, you are spent and decide to relax in your jacuzzi this evening. Now you find yourself wishing for a massage before dinner. On cue, Fairy Godmother´s wand produces a portable massage bed and the therapeutic hands of Bari Levin, a U.S.- certified masseuse.
The resort
maintains a profound respect for environmental conservation. It´s
eco-policy is manifest in the planting of 8,000 new trees to
attract birds, the creation of a lake from surplus water, and the
development of reserves for turtles, deer and iguana.Within the compound, the enchantment of the sea is inescapable. In the thatched-roof restaurant and bar, patrons sit front-row-center before the pageant of thrashing waves and blissful sunsets. The spectacle can only be upstaged by the tantalizing cuisine of Chef Pedro Montiel, who developed his flair on luxury cruise lines.
A new menu is presented each day, with a surprisingly moderate price range -- $4.50 for chicken salad with pineapple and fresh nuts; $10.50 for sea bass in a plum and raisin wine sauce, with snapping greens.
As your vacation progresses, you fantasize about owning one of the lots for sale at Tango Mar, so that would never have to leave. "I wish...I wish..."
"You called?" asks Fairy Godmother. "And remember, this is your third and final wish."
You´re so excited at the prospect of a legal deed to paradise that your mouth goes dry. "Oh gosh," you croak. "I wish I had a drink of water."
"Well, you can´t say that I didn´t warn you!"
Hotel, Tiki and Tropical suites run $125-175 with complimentary American breakfast, from December 16 to April 15, reduced to $80-100 with continental breakfast in the Green Season. For ultra pampering, a few elegant villas with a 4-8 person capacity are available.
Further information on reservations and real estate purchases may be obtained by calling (506) 289-9328. If a Fairy Godmother answers, have your wishes ready - and try not to mess up.
